In recent years the use of lasers for medical procedures has become more common. Many of these procedures use laser devices as a surgical scalpel to perform precise and delicate incissions. These devices have also been used in other types of procedures, but their principal application to date has been surgical.
Notwithstanding the many advantages of laser tools, they present a number of dangers in the operating room. The most prevalent danger is from divergent or scattered radiation. The coherent beam from most devices used in the operating room is of sufficient power to cause skin burn and eye damage from scattered or reflected beams. Normally, operating room personnel wear protective clothing and specially made goggles or eye glasses to protect themselves from stray radiation.
Patients undergoing such treatment or surgical procedures are covered in protective garments which provide a degree of protection. Also, eyes and face are covered with gauze to protect them from the stray radiation. However, most of the facial and, in particular, the eye protection is not adequate. In the case of eye protection, stray radiation finds its way in through the gauze at the bridge of the nose or around the nose and cheekbone areas. A further disadvantage is that the tape and petroleum based eye lubricants commonly used are potentially ignitable by stray irradiation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an eye mask which will afford a patient undergoing laser surgery or therapy complete protection from stray or divergent laser radiation. It is a further object of the invention to provide an eye mask which will prevent the eyes from drying out during the procedure during which the mask is being used.